1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle lock and more particularly to a bicycle lock which is adapted to extend through the spokes of a bicycle wheel and be mounted on the bicycle frame and employ the bicycle frame as an integral part of the locking structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bicycle locks have ranged in design from simple extended-hasp padlocks to chain and cable locks and more recently to locks constructed in U-shapes and the like which are separable from the bicycle. Use of such locks typically involves locking the bicycle to a stationary object such as a bicycle rack. Such locks, and especially the popular U-shaped locks, are heavy and cumbersome. They are a nuisance when not in use. When a U-lock is not in use the bicyclist must either mount it in an auxiliary holder bolted to the bike frame (which adds additional weight) or carry the lock as he or she cycles.
It has also been suggested to provide a lock which employs a bar or rod which extends between the spokes of a front or rear wheel. In such locks, the bar is generally attached or locked in some manner to two frame members of the bicycle on which the wheel is mounted. A known manner of attaching the bar to the frame members is to attach mounting members to the frame members on either side of the wheel and to attach the bar to the two mounting members. The bar may be attached to the mounting members by positioning the bar in apertures extending through the mounting members and locking the bar in place with a locking mechanism. A challenge in making such a bicycle lock which is permanently mounted on a bicycle is to make the lock strong and theft proof while at the same time making the lock lighter in weight than the U-locks of the art.
This type of lock is susceptible of improvements in that the lock can be broken by sawing through either of the mounting members, by removing the mounting members from the frame members and by prying or dislocating the lock from its original position to one where the lock is defeated. Also, with locks of this type it can be relatively easy to break the locking mechanism by pounding the bar out of the apertures in the brackets.
In an earlier patent application I described a lock which was a substantial improvement over locks described previously. This lock was characterized by having an elongated cylindrical pin, a first bracket and a second bracket. The first bracket had securing means for removably securing the first bracket to one of two outwardly splayed frame tubes of a bicycle at a point spaced from the rear axle of the bicycle. The second bracket had a securing means for removably securing the second bracket to the other of the two seat tubes of the bicycle at the same spacing from the rear axle. The first bracket had a first cylindrical aperture disposed parallel to the rear axle of the bicycle when the lock was installed on the bicycle. The first aperture was sized to receive the elongated cylindrical pin with the pin spanning between the two brackets and having an end received in a second cylindrical aperture in the second bracket. A locking means was provided in the first bracket for lockably engaging the cylindrical pin to prevent removal of the pin from the first bracket. The second cylindrical aperture in the second bracket was blinded on an outer end to prevent access to the end of the cylindrical pin when the pin was positioned in the blind aperture. In certain embodiments the pin was elongated and shaped to fasten the pin and its associated lock body and bicycle to a post or other immobilizing object. In this configuration this lock was somewhat susceptible to defeat by attacking the connection between the pin and the first bracket. Their rigid connection allowed great force to be applied to this junction.